Improvement in seeding-machines



teniet sata aient @Mine Letters Patent No. 93,7 62, dated August 17,1869.

IMPROVEMENT IN' SEEDING-MACHINES.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and-making part Of theSame.

Toall whom 'it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN STARK, oflihoiuasvilla in the county of rlhomas, and State of Georgia, haveinvented a new and improved Seed-Planter; and I do hereby declare thatthe following isa full, clear, and exact description thereof, which willenable othels skilled in the art to make and use the same, referencebeing had to the 'accompanying (hawings, forming a part of thisspecfication.

Figure 1, Sheet I, represents a side elevation, partly in section, of myimproved seed-planter.

Figure 2, Sheet I, is a plan or top view, partly in section, of thesame.

'Figure 3, Sheet I, is a vertical transverse section of the same, takenon the plane ofthe line x x, ig. 2.

Figure 4, Sheet I, is an inverted plan view of the seed-box ofthe same.I

Figures 5, 6, 7, and 8, Sheet I, are detail side views of thecani-wheels used for operating the seed-slide.

Figure 9, Sheet II, is a side elevation'of my improved machiue, whenconverted into a sowing-machine.

Figure 10, Sheet II,-is a detail plan view-of the scattering-attachmentto the sowing-machine.

Similar' letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

This invention relates to .certain improvements on the seed-planter forwhich Letters Patent No. 72,333

were granted to -me on the 17th day of December,

The object of the present improvements is, first, to simplify the wholeapparatus, and second, to allow the seed-planter to be used as afertilizer, and to make it convertible into a sowing-machine.

The invention consists- Y First, in a nen/'manner of operating theseed-slide from the axle of the rear supporti]lg-wheel.

Second, in arranging a rotating reel within the. dropbox for separatingcotton -seed and for breaking up lumps of fertilizing matter that mightenter the box.

Third, in providing adjustable gates for the seedapertures, the positionof said gates being regulated by the aid of graduated scales.

Fourth, in' providing an oscillatingr plate and lever, by means of whichthe seed-apertures'can at once be closed.

Fifth, in providing a scattering-wheel, which can be placed on therotating vertical shaft of the seed-box, in place Aof the drop-box, toscatter the seed when the apparatus is to be used as a sowing-machine.

A, in the drawing, represents the main frame of my machine, supported infront by the main wheel B, and in rear by a follower wheel, C.

D is the upper flame, pivoted in -front to the axle Ey of the wheel B,and supported in rear by thebars a, projecting downward, as shown, andall substantially as described in the aforesaid Letters Patent. l

F is a vertical shaft, fitted through the rear partl of the frame D, andprojecting above -and below the same.

Its upper part ts into the hopper, or scedreceptac'le G, which isfastened upon the fiar-ne, while its lower part is in a funnel-shapeddrop-box, H, that is removably attached to the under side of the frameD, all as shown in g. 3.

The shaft F receives rotary motion from the front axle E, by means of ajointed connecting-rod,l1, which has pinions on its bothends, the frontpinion c meshing into a gear-wheel, l,'that is mounted on E, while therear pinion c meshes into a pinion, f, on F, as shown in iig. 3.

- The rod b consists of two pieces, which are connected by a universaljoint, g, which allows the said rod to be bent as shown. A

The shaft F carries, within the seed-box G, two or more stirrers, h h,which are shaped so as to play directly above the conical or other,bottom of the said seed-box.

On the lower end of the shaft F is mounted a disk, 1', from which anumber'of radial armsj j proj ect, as shown. rlhis disk works in thefunnel H, land serves to separate cotton-seed, and to break up lumps offertilizing'matter that may have entered the said funnel.

The bottom-plate k of the hopper'G has two or more or less apertures,through which the seed is to be dropped.

Under the plate l.' are pivcted as many plates Z as there are apertures,each plate being so shaped that it can be swung to close. its aperturemore or less.

The outer end of each plate l works on a graduated scale, m, as shown iniig. 2, and can, by means of a thumb-screw, be-cla1nped in any desiredposition to leave the seed-holcs more or less open, so that just therequisite amount oi' seed will be dropped.

Under the plate Z is fitted, around the shaft F, a plate, a, which hasas many projecting arms or segments as there are apertures in k.

This plate n is connected with a lc'ver, o, which can be 'worked fromthe outside, and by means of which the said plate can be easily turnedto instantaneously close the seed-holes, whenever desired.

In the hopper G are, above the stirrer h, arranged stationary bars p,which also serve, like the plate t, to

separate cotton-seed, and to break the lumps of fcrtil`- izing matter.

lhe seed or fertilizing material is put, into the hopper G, passesthrough the apertures of the plate It, and is then scattered in thedrop-boxH by the plate 'z'. It is then collected in the moutlro'f thesaid box H, and discharged into the box I, which is attached to fitted.

the frame A, and into which the lower end of H is The lower end of I isclosed by means of a'slide, fr, which is, at its rear end, pivoted to acrank projecting from a rock-shaft, s, as shown in fig. 1.

On this rock-shait is mounted a disk, t, having two arms, against one ofwhich a spring, ravis fitted, to

prevent the said rock-shaft from turning.

On ythe axle of the rear wheel() is mounted a pinion, t', of suitablesize, meshing into a toothed wheel, w, on the arbor of which a toothedcam, x, is mounted.`

This cam is. thus turned, and will, as it revolves, strike against thebackward-projecting arm of the disk t, thereby causing, in connectionwith the spring u, oscillating motion to be imparted to the rockshaft.`By this means'the slide yr is pulled back and forth, to alternately openand close the box I, and to thereby regulate the discharge of seed.

The velocity of motion of the slide, and thereby the distance bet u'eenthe discharges of seed, can be regulated by haring dierent kinds of camsx, of which some are shown in figs. 1, 5, (i, 7, and 8, those havingthe. least number of teeth causing tbe least nuxnberof discharges duringone revolution of the wheel (l.` By havingdilierent respective diametersof the gear-wh eels o and w, the discharge will also be regulated.

In front of the drop I is arranged, on the ira-me A, an lip-and-downadjustable -plowshare, J by means of which the desired furrow is drawn.

In front of t11e`plow isa rake, L, which clears the ground for thereception of tbe seed or manure.

In rearo` the drop are the oblique Scrapers M, which serve to close thefurrow over the seed.

W hen it is desired to use the machine for scatterlug seed, the wholeframe A is removed, so that the wheel B remains on the upper frame D, asshown in iig. 9.

The lower box H is also taken oii, as .well as the disk i, in place ofwhich a large circular plate, N, ,is fastened to the shaft F.

'I his plate N has a series of radial-projecting ribs y y, which standinclined, as shown in igs. 9 and 10, and

which, when the plate is' revolved by the forward motion of the machine,throw the seed in all directions, so as to well scatter it.

Thus a complete combined seed-planter, sowing-machine, and fertilizer isproduced.

Having thus described my invention,

I claim as new, and. desire to secure by Letters Paten't- I 1. Theadjustable seed-slides l l, constructed as described, operating upon thegraduated scales lm, in combination with the perforated plate 7.1, asherein described, for the purpose specified.

2. The oscillating plate n,for closing the seed-'apertures, whenoperated by means ofthe lever o, substantially as herein shown anddescribed.

3. The applicatie" to a seed-planter ofthe rotating upright shaft Ii, onweich the separating disk 1', having the arxnsj, is mounted, forseparating cotton-seed and for breaking up, the lumps of fertilizingmaterial, substantially as described.

4. JlChe apparatus for operating the reciprocating slide -r, consistingof the oscillating arbor s, having the cam tof the spring u, tootheddisk x, and gear-wheels fw, all made and operating substantially asdescribed.

The combination, with the seed-slide r and snpporting-Wheel C, of thespring u, cam t, rock-shaft s, gear-wheels w v, and the cam x, operatingsubstantially as described, for the purpose specified.

6. The combination, in a seed-planter, of the hopper G, plates Z Z andn, shaft F, disk i, having the arms j, with the hopper H and box I, allmade and operating substantially as herein shownand described.

JOHN STARK.

Witnesses:

FRANK BLocKLEr, ALEX; F. ROBERTS.

